The Lord's Timing

The phrase, "...in the Lord's timing...," is often spoken in an attempt to comfort couples waiting to adopt. For me, "in the Lord's timing..." just means I am expected to be patient and wait for a really long time for something I want now.
It was not until we adopted our first child, not until over six childless years of marriage, that I understood the Lord's timing. For those six plus years I very impatiently mourned and moaned and pouted about my trials and how I thought things should be different. While my feelings of sadness and longing stemmed from a righteous desire, my reaction to them were rarely faith-filled.

In our seventh year of marriage we adopted our first child and I must tell you, the experience of holding my son for the first time was like a scene from a movie, where several scenes quickly replay before your eyes. I was able to see in that moment that so many of the trials and challenges we had been through were necessary to poke and prod us along a path the led right to that very perfect moment.

Earlier this month, as part of our National Adoption Month celebration, I had the opportunity to attend a special chapel session in the San Diego Temple. The brother conducting the meeting spoke about the significance of the star of Bethlehem, and how, in order for THAT star to appear with such brightness in THAT spot in the sky on THAT night, events had to have taken place in the solar system several years prior.

He concluded that just as the Lord knew what was needed in order for that star to appear at the right time, He also knows what we need and WHEN we need it so that he can bless us as much as possible.

The tricky part, of course, is to let His timing lead us and not let our timing take precedence. For example, even though I had that remarkable experience, sure enough each time our little family hopes to adopt again we have mapped out our "perfect timing" for the blessed event. However, as we see beautiful decorations this holiday season depicting the Star of Bethleham, I hope it will be a reminder to all of us that the Lord's timing will always poke and prod us to where He needs us to be in order to receive the greatest gifts.